Newly-Hired Dubuque County Sheriff’s Deputy Resigns Following Public Scrutiny

A new Dubuque County Sheriff’s deputy has resigned following public scrutiny over his hiring this week.

The Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office announced the hiring of Matt Pothoff on their department’s Facebook page on Tuesday.

But comments from the public brought to light that Pothoff had been charged with sexually abusing a female peer in 2017 when he was 17 years old. He was never convicted of the charge and it was permanently dismissed by the Courts.

On Thursday, the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office issued a press release, stating that Deputy Pothoff has resigned and that they wish him the best in his future endeavors.

Sheriff Joe Kennedy says it is their understanding that many members of the community had concerns about Pothoff’s hiring – and they apologize for being the cause for that concern and for the negative attention it brought to both the Sheriff’s Office and the Dubuque community as a whole.

The Sheriff’s Office had received hundreds of phone calls, emails and Facebook messages over the past two days. Kennedy says they have tried to respond to as many as possible – however, with limited resources to answer all of the messages, this is the final statement they intend to make on the subject. He thanks those who reached out and voiced their concerns on the matter, particularly those who were willing to listen and have constructive conversation.

Kennedy says it is their job now to focus on rebuilding the trust of the community.

photo courtesy of Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office